A Day at the Snake's
by riyuna16
Summary: [On Hold] See how Sasuke endures his first day in Orochimaru's secret lair. We just know how this guy left a cursed seal after delightfully sinking his fangs into Sasuke's neck so perhaps they're going to do more than training... [NOT an OroSasu fic]
1. Indulgence and Arrogance

**"A DAY AT THE SNAKE'S"**

**Written by: **riyuna16

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. The one who owns it is a _genius!_

**Summary: **See how Sasuke endures his first day in Orochimaru's secret lair. We just know how this guy left a cursed seal after delightfully sinking his fangs into Sasuke's neck so perhaps they're going to do _more_ than training...

**A/N: **Please note that italics mean thinking / brain waves. Please review and tell me pros & cons about my story because they're _gladly_ appreciated and will _definitely _improve my work. Thank you! Enjoy... :D!

* * *

**"A Day at the Snake's"**

Written by: riyuna16

**Chapter One: Indulgence and Arrogance  
**

_**7:30 am.**_

He woke up quite bothered today. Frustrated, restless, drained, fuming or just plainly annoyed... he doesn't know. But what he _does _know is that we was tossing and turning in bed last night. And the reason is pretty obvious... the incident in the Valley of Death which he extremely is the one responsible.

_"Hmph. It was his fault,"_ he thought. "_He forced me and I have my reasons."_

But he knew, in the thousandth of a second, that that kyuubi boy and his village had, beyond doubt, became his whole world. Then again, he has no other options. No other choice but to _try _to kill him and acquire the highest level of his advanced bloodline to be able to slay his older brother for his family's mass murder. But destiny didn't allow him. And the blonde survived in their precarious fight. He was unconscious. And the chidori-user couldn't believe that he truly tried to kill him. His best friend.

"Master Sasuke?" someone called.

The Uchiha looked to the direction of the voice only to find a certain Kabuto hanging his head, peeking at the partly-opened door.

"What?" he asked annoyingly.

"Oh, you're awake." he assumed and entered his bedroom.

"Yeah," he muttered. "What do you want?" he asked again.

"Just checking," the medic-nin answered with a smile. "Master Orochimaru asked me to take _good_ care of you."

Sasuke scowled, tossed the blanket and stood on his feet. "Where is he?" he demanded. "Where is the power I asked?"

"You already had it, Master Sasuke." replied Kabuto as he turned his heel and walked out of the room. "You used it on Naruto, am I correct?"

The young shinobi clenched his teeth as he uncontrollably activated his Sharingan. "That's _none_ of your business."

Kabuto doesn't want to die a horrible death yet, so he smiled sweetly at him. "I know." and went on his way. Then he looked back. "Ah, Master," he said. "Breakfast is ready."

Sasuke slowly went out of his room and stared at the hallway as if he hadn't passed by it yesterday night. It was like a cave mine. Made of stone for the wall and floor, and supported by wooden pillars, just like in the series. He glanced back as he learned to where his room was situated. Then followed Kabuto to wherever he was going, as long as there's food since our avenger is rather hungry.

"I hope you'll enjoy your stay here, Master Sasuke." the medic-nin spoke all of a sudden. "Three years is a long time."

"Tch." he grunted and rolled his eyes. "Once I'm powerful enough, I'll be out of here." he declared. "Which is..." he assumed. "Less than _three years_."

Kabuto shrugged and broke into a silent laugh. _"This kid has much to learn..."_


	2. Powercrazy meets Powerhungry

**"A DAY AT THE SNAKE'S"**

**Written by: **riyuna16

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. The one who owns it is a _genius!_

**Summary: **See how Sasuke endures his first day in Orochimaru's secret lair. We just know how this guy left a cursed seal after delightfully sinking his fangs into Sasuke's neck so perhaps they're going to do _more_ than training... NOT an OroSasu fic

**A/N: **Yay! Chapter Two! I planned this one very well, as best as I can! Anyway, Orochimaru appears here. This is also the part where the two meets (except the part where he bit him in the series)! Please review and tell me your comments and everything. To all who oh-so-hates OroSasu, please don't think I like the pairing! It sickens me the way it sickens you too. And I'm not pairing them up anyway. It's really plainly about Sasuke's stay with him. That's all. And please don't mind the title of the chapter grins. Enjoy... :D!

* * *

**"A Day at the Snake's"**

Written by: riyuna16

**Chapter Two: Power-crazy meets Power-hungry**

**  
**

_**9:00 am.**_

His shadowy figure remained unaltered in the darkness. Only the candle glowing around itself like an amber enthuse the dead silence of the old nemesis.

Orochimaru. The evil, evil guy we've known forever as the ultimate antagonist of the series since he definitely looks SO evil. We usually see him in bandages and everything and in this fic, is no different. Yes, sad to say. He's still recovering from all the bloody pain he experienced in the bathroom so he still looks that way.

Well ANYWAY...

This legendary sannin is not doing his usual today. Because he's so pleased that his source of admiration is now HERE----in his _secret lair----_he's not into destroying innocent villages or going for walks looking for more toys to play with. Instead, Orochimaru is in his private space, that dark-room-with-the-melting-candle-and-other-precious-possessions room. Yes, there he was. Sitting on the chair at the center like a king. A very, very evil king who was definitely growing impatient.

"What's taking _Sasuke-kun _so long!" he grumbled loudly. "Maybe he thought it was still dusk since this secret lair is so dark..."

"Orochimaru?"

Upon hearing his name, the sannin gathered all his strength, jumped excitedly with a cheery smile and immediately faced the person, who was none other than Kabuto... again.

"WHAT?" he answered harshly. "Where is SASUKE?"

Kabuto, feeling a little rejected, gradually bowed to him. "My apologies, Master Orochimaru. But Master Sasuke is already training outside."

"TRAINING OUTSIDE?" he exclaimed, as if Kabuto told him that Sarutobi had risen from the grave.

"Yes, master." the medic-nin replied.

The snake-summoner nodded. _"Hmm... that's a good sign," _and he helped himself to the door. Kabuto noticed this.

"Shall I bring you your cane and hat as you venture outside?"

The sannin paused dead in his tracks. "What?"

"Do you need your cane and hat?" repeated Kabuto.

Orochimaru raised him a brow. "Kabuto," he spoke. "Since WHEN did I ever needed a cane and hat?"

He shrugged. "Since now?" he supposed. "It's your first _all-day occupancy _in that body, Master Orochimaru." he stated. "You are too frail as of now. So we better be careful."

Orochimaru pondered on the idea. We all know that Kabuto is keen, clever and _downright_ faithful to his master, and Orochimaru knows that too. That's why he trusts him so much, with his life! But _him _wearing a cane and hat as protection? From WHAT! From the _SUN_! What's more, this is Sasuke's FIRST DAY! We're not talking about Naruto or Sakura. It's _SASUKE_! This young shinobi is just TOO special for him! He has to look good if not better...

"I don't think that's necessary, Kabuto." he uttered and went through the door.

"But _look _at you!"the medic-nin exclaimed. "You're so weak! You'relike a _wobbling_ eggplant and----"

"BE QUIET!" yelled Orochimaru. "You're just a _servant_!" he added, glaring at him as he stormed out of the dark-room-with-the-melting-candle-and-other-precious-possessions room. Kabuto backed away, hurt. But he just couldn't contain himself a while ago, because to him, Orochimaru meant more than just his master.

* * *

**_  
Forest. 9:45 am._**

Sasuke stood in the middle of the forest he has never been. The sun was quite high in the sky but he didn't care much anymore. He has a lot more things to keep in mind. He has to focus. He held up shurikens in between his fingers of overlapped hands in front of his chest. And closed his eyes in concentration.

_"Focus." _he told himself. _"Concentrate." _

_**  
Flashback . . . **_

8 year-old Sasuke hid behind a tree where he can see the target.

_"Ha! Let's see if Itachi can do this..." _he sneered confidently. After a few seconds, he almost jumped only to find a kunai that hit the spot! He stared at it. And his jaw dropped. "It's... unbelievable!"

He ran to where his older brother was and gasped. He was dumbfounded to see that Itachi has hit ALL the targets he had set up! Even in the _most _difficult places to take aim! Yeah! Like what happened in the series! Well anyway... Little Sasuke looked at his older brother who slowly stood to his composure.

"Itachi! Please teach meeee!" the young Uchiha whined as he ran over to Itachi's place. "Teach me how to throw shurikens and kunai!"

"I'm sorry, Sasuke. But I have a mission tomorrow," said Itachi as he started picking up his weapons, just like in the series again. "Maybe next time."

"But you always say 'next time', Itachi!" protested Little Sasuke with a frown. "You rarely thought me _anything_."

_**End of Flashback.**_

**_  
_**

Thirteen-year-old Sasuke gritted his teeth. Yes, Itachi rarely spends time with him because he's always going out in a mission. Well, why not? He IS the strongest ninja of their clan, and Sasuke... well, he was just waiting for his super-strong brother to come home and hear all the super-praises about him by their parents, especially his super-father, Fugaku.

There is more of this guy we don't know. Yes, we know Fugaku is Sasuke's father. And fathers always want the good for their children and should be, beyond question, _understanding_. But unfortunately, _this_ father is an impatient one. He is so honored, which in this fic means 'extremely proud', to have a son like Itachi and brags him about to all the other low-class clans who never made it to the series (since they're so lowly and shoddy and do not fit the standards of _not _being the typical type). To put it simple, they're just your everyday-clan so they suck unlike the Uchihas. So Fugaku talks big about Itachi, everything he has accomplished and all the staggering stuff he does that even WE cannot believe. At first.

Well ANYWAY...

Sasuke's father is hot headed. But fortunately, he _doesn't show it_ to his sons! YAY! But little boys aren't dense, so Little Sasuke knew his father was growing annoyed. So whenever they train shurikens and kunai, "You have to aim at the target and not the squirrel, Sasuke. You better be a good shinobi like your brother," he reprimanded him as gently as he could. "Because _you're _my son." he would add.

But deep inside the aggravating delicate heart of Fugaku...

_"WHAT THE HELL! ARE YOU BLIND?"_

Sasuke knew he wasn't a slow learner. In fact, we _all _know he isn't like whatever his father describes him to be because he's their son and everything. But it gets really tough for an eight-year-old to live in a house where you're always compared to your bloody brother. Sometimes, he asks his mother, Mikoto, if he really belongs to the clan of Uchiha.

_**Flashback . . . **_

"Of course you do, Sasuke!" his mother had always answered him with assurance. "Why in the world have you thought you do not?"

"Because I'm not as awesome as Itachi," replied Sasuke with a long face. She smiled.

"You may not be as strong as your brother, Sasuke. But when you grow up..." her voice came to a whisper as she held Little Sasuke's hands. "You will be the son I'll be most proud of!"

_**End of Flashback.**_

_"I will, Mother."_

And Sasuke leaped himself as high as he can to the air and threw the shurikens and kunai straight off the trunks of the trees, missing the squirrels. Directly at his targets. When he came to his feet, he slowly opened his eyes. The young Uchiha smirked. He saw all the his weapons hit the spot. He knew he can be like him. His father was wrong. Then he heard scraping of leaves at the distance.

"You missed one." came a scratchy voice as the man himself held a kunai on his right hand. Then he looked at his lower-left. "Ooops, make that two."

Sasuke curled his hands into balls of fists. Did he really miss TWO targets!

"Oh, don't worry, _Sasuke-kun_. I can't do that either," Orochimaru said, walking up to him. "I guess your brother can, can't he?"

The raven wonder remained silent. He wouldn't have recognized him with his new olive green hair without those purpled-lined eyes and that scratchy voice of his.

Orochimaru broke into a laugh. "I am ONE of the legendary sannins and yet..." he uttered. "I cannot take skillful aim at all TEN targets."

This made Sasuke smiled a bit.

"Have you eaten breakfast?" asked Orochimaru. "I don't want my next container vulnerable and puny." he stated.

"Yes, I have." answered the Sharingan-user as he glowered at him. "When are you giving me the power I asked?"

"You just need to enhance the gift," the sannin proclaimed with a mischievous smile. "And the highest, utmost form of immeasurable power is forever yours."

The young Uchiha stared into nothingness. An unexplainable look in his gaze.


	3. Let's Play

**"A DAY AT THE SNAKE'S"**

**Written by: **riyuna16

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. And I _salute_ _Kishimoto!_

**Summary: **See how Sasuke endures his first day in Orochimaru's secret lair. We just know how this guy left a cursed seal after delightfully sinking his fangs into Sasuke's neck so perhaps they're going to do _more_ than training... (NOT an OroSasu fic)

**A/N: **(sighs) That was... WHEW! But I am SO happy that I finally finished writing and uploading the next chap! YAY! Thank you VERY much to **Nehxaa16**and**TaNGKaD **for reviewing! I really _really _appreciate all reviews---especially the good ones...Haha. Again, thank you SO much. And without wasting more of your precious time, here's chapter three. Enjoy... :D!

* * *

**"A Day at the Snake's"**

Written by: riyuna16

**Chapter Three: Let's Play**

****

_**10:20 am. **_

It was not a good thing. The breeze that made his jet-black hair wave in front of his virile face embolded him to think of what the atrocious man beside him had said. What he had to offer.

_"You just need to enhance the gift," the sannin proclaimed with a mischievous smile. "And the highest, utmost form of immeasurable power is forever yours." _

His lifeless face remained unbothered. He was deep in thoughts. Will he truly put his trust unto this man? To be able to acquire that immeasurable power? And without hesitation, he knew the answer.

* * *

_**10:45 am. **_

The avaricious sannin walked along the hushed forest with the young Uchiha. The young shinobi's hands were still buried inside his pockets as Orochimaru was strolling silently, thinking of how to spark a conversation. He slapped his forehead mentally.

_"THINK, you imprudent!" _he cried in his mind._ "Think of something that would make Sasuke-kun speak up! He SURELY doesn't want to smell your STENCH if you don't open your MOUTH! Argh! You know what I MEAN! It's the..."_

"The power."

Orochimaru cocked an eyebrow as he looked down at the shinobi by his side. "You said something, Sasuke-kun?"

"Tell me." he demanded, stopping to gaze at the man's dusky eyes. "How can I enhance the _gift_?"

The snake-summoner remained frozen for a while, slightly astounded. Then he broke into a loud, hearty laugh"Can't we leave the _gift thing _for just a MINUTE?" he asked with parody. "We have three years, my dear Sasuke-kun! Three WHOLE years," he explained to him. "We need not rush."

"Hn." came the Sharingan heir with a scowl. "How long do we have to _walk_?" he asked impatiently. "Can't we just _leap _to the branches and do the ninja stuff like we _always _do?" he asked in a as-a-matter-of-fact tone. "It's faster that way."

"Hmm... a long way to go, indeed." The ghastly man observed as he looked around him. "But we CAN'T just leap to the branches and do the ninja stuff we _always _do... like you say." he told him.

"Why so?" Sasuke snapped with a frown. "After all, we _are _shinobis."

"Because I SAID so, Sasuke-kun," answered Orochimaru firmly. "I am the rule here."

"Hmph. Sure, and I'm the house." mumbled the raven wonder as he looked away.

"Take it as a challenge!" replied the sannin with such vigor. "_Walking_ instead of _leaping trees_! _Relaxing _instead of _working those muscles! _This is our teacher-student bond, Sasuke-kun! We'll remember this path _forever_!"

The Uchiha stared at him with wide eyes. Then shook his head. Sometimes, he wondered how he let this guy get the better of him back in Konohakagure. "Fine. Let's just walk." he stated with a groan.

"Well, if it wasn't for you, my special boy, we could be home right now." answered Orochimaru as he continued strolling, which is more like _stalling. _"You trained too far. You could have waited for me! So that we could train together..." he stated with a cunning sneer.

Sasuke didn't say anything. He didn't mind him. He was bored. He was bored of toddling the same path and bored of stepping the same leaves. And he's tired. Tired of working those feet for more than a mile and tired of the hearing Orochimaru utter "_Sasuke-kun" _after each sentence like Sakura. In fact, he wasn't just bored. He was BORED TO DEATH!When will this man teach him how to enhance that GIFT? He just CAN'T waste his time here! But he didn't DARE protest, clearly knowing that all decisions are made by the legendary sannin. And there was absolutely _nothing _he can do about it. He owed him a thing or two. And so he sighed, a puff of air blowing a strand of black-blue hair in front of his enticing face.

"Bored stiff, aren't you, Sasuke-kun?" the snake-summoner guessed with a smile as his senseless stalling, I mean _strolling_, came into a halt. Sasuke didn't say a word. The sannin was CERTAIN the Uchiha was eager to enhance the gift. But these things take time. Three years _is_ a long time. And there's _plenty _of time right now.

"I know!" declared Orochimaru quite excitedly. "Let's play a game."

"I want to go back and train." answered Sasuke tediously. "I don't have time to play."

"Is that so?" inquired Orochimaru. "Oh, but Sasuke-kun, we'll just _kill the time _while walking," explained the sannin reassuringly. "You'll just open your mouth and use your arms to play the game" he spoke mischievously. "It is VERYeasy

Sasuke remained silent for a moment. He just said he DOESN'Thave the time to play!He's a MAN and he won't break his word! But Orochimaru said it's VERY easy. No big deal. Maybe just a simple game. And it'll kill the time. Yeah, that'll end all his boredom. And so he said...

"...All right."

"GOOD! Very good," commended Orochimaru as he broke into a sly grin. "Do you have any idea of the game I have in mind?" he answered as they reached the river.

"No." answered Sasuke emphatically. But he was quite enthusiastic about it. _"What's he planning to play anyway? Hunt for the snakes?"_

"We're going to play..." the sannin's voice trailed off as he looked to the blue sky.Then his pale face brightened as he grinned wider than ever...

* * *

_**11:30 am.**_

Kabuto looked over some paperworks in some room in the secret lair. He shook his head at every page and sighed. "No more five-man team..." Then he went through the kitchen-like room of the lair and started to reach for pans and casseroles for cooking. "It's almost twelve," he uttered. "Lunch time. Master Orochimaru and Sasuke must be on their way home," he thought aloud. "But I wonder what's taking them so long..."

* * *

_**11:45 am.**_

Sasuke tensed... Orochimaru was happy. Clearly, he was excited about something. And him _excited _over something was bad. Then the Uchiha realized it was worse. Worse because he was part of it.

"Strip off." finished the snake-summoner. "We are going to have a _good time _playing THAT one."

_"S-strip off...?" _he thought incredulously. The young Uchiha almost tripped his own feet. _"That's like... UNDRESSING... right?" _

"What's the matter?" asked Orochimaru with a face that seems ready to laugh. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Uh, n-no..." the young Uchiha stuttered, trembling slightly. He coughed. "It's just that... I haven't heard of the game before." he said and swallowed hard. "H-how's it played...?"

Orochimaru laughed. "It is just a matter of _question and answer_, my special student." he explained with a leer. "If one doesn't get the right answer, he gets a punishment!"

_"P-PUNISHMENT!" _he bellowed in his mind in disbelief. _"Is this some kind of TEST!" _

"Still want to play?" asked the sannin, invading his thoughts with an impish smirk, walking steadily. "You don't look so good, Sasuke-kun," the man pointed out as he peeked at the young shinobi's face. "Are you ill?"

"N-no..." answered the raven wonder timidly. "What's the punishment...?" asked the raven wonder, not abandoning the subject, his head bowed down. That was then that he remembered the name of the game. That made his skin shiver and tremble at the thought.

**Strip. Off.**

_"DAMMIT!" _he screamed._ "If I don't get it right, don't tell me I have to..."_

"It's a SURPRISE!" replied Orochimaru, chuckling. "There's no fun if there's no surprise..." he said, laughing so hard this time, gasping for breath. "OH! Oh... so, are we going to enjoy ourselves and have _fun_, my dear Sasuke-kun

The young Uchiha ran his delicate fingers along his raven hair. _"Look underneath the underneath, Uchiha Sasuke." _he whispered to himself, reminiscing Kakashi-sensei's somnolent face, in which 'somnolent' in this fic means 'half asleep and half awake'. He looked at himself. _"You're the best." _he thought, accidentally forgetting the blonde._ "You can DO this."_

"Fine, let's do this." he declared as he his hands trembled slightly underneath his pockets. "Who's first?" he asked, walking constantly, trying to act untroubled. And he even kind of meant it.

"Hmm... I think I'LL go first!" announced Orochimaru with a witty smile, thinking it is better to give the boy a little practice. "Don't you worry, Sasuke-kun. I'll make it _easy _for you."

"Hn, wrong move." he replied sarcastically, but raven boy's full lips twitched into an insolent smile. He had to admit that he doesn't really want to get PUNISHED.

The sannin grinned slyly. "My question is..."

Sasuke listened carefully, his forehead creased. He MUST answer this one. He should take no risks. Because 'risks' spell 'trouble'.

"Who is The Legendary Sucker?" asked Orochimaru.

The young Uchiha held his head in frustration. _"I know that!" _he screamed in thoughts._ "I've heard of this!" _

"Well...?" the obnoxious man asked his student impatiently. "Who is The Legendary Sucker?"

The endearing lad with piercing jet-black eyes sparkled into bliss. "Hn, it's Tsunade."

Orochimaru's brows raised in admiration for a moment or two. "Hmm... You are good." he enthused him with a smile. "You are correct, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke smirked. YES! He did it. He was just saved from punishment. Now it was the sannin's turn. "You're next." declared Sasuke. "My question is..."

The raven wonder pondered. "_Must get a difficult question. A trivia," _he thought. Something only HE had known. Only known by Uchiha Sasuke. Not by Naruto, Kakashi, Tsunade or some villagers. A question that is VERY difficult to answer. But... **WAIT!** He just thought of something. You see, if he threw his MOST COMPLICATED question first, Orochimaru might NOT be able to answer it right! And if he didn't get the answer right, the sannin's going to get the punishment! And if Sasuke was really right about the PUNISHMENT, then Orochimaru's going to have to...

_"For the love of Kami-sama..." _Sasuke prayed silently as he closed his eyes. We just KNOW the horror, don't we? We just don't want that to happen, because it would be VERY difficult to depict.

Well ANYWAY...

The young Uchiha decided to go on the EASY round. "_Ask the questions he'll SURELY get right," _he thought. _"That way, we'll get NO naughty stuff..." _

"I'm waiting..." uttered Orochimaru as he interrupted Sasuke's thoughts. "Don't think so much, my dear boy."

"Okay, I've got the question." snapped Sasuke. "Here it is," he said. "What is..."

Orochimaru listened carefully. _"An identification question," _the sannin thought. _"I must identify what is being described."_

"...2 + 3?"

_(Silence. Some bird chirping in the distance.)_

"THAT WAS IT?" asked the sannin incredulously as he looked at Sasuke straight in the face. "THAT was YOUR QUESTION?"

"What?" asked the young shinobi gullibly as he looked away. "Yeah, that was my question. Now answer it."

The snake-summoner sighed loudly. _"And I've ALWAYS thought he was a genius." _he thought. "The answer is 6."

"WHAT?" he yelled for it _was _Sasuke's turn to shout. "Since when did TWO plus THREE equalled to SIX?"

"Oh, THREE!" exclaimed the sannin with a bright face. "I thought you said four."

"FOUR?" shouted Sasuke in astonishment as he flung his arms. "I didn't say any FOUR, you moron!"

"How DARE you call me a MORON, you UNGRATEFUL HUMAN!" screamed Orochimaru with an evil glare. "You are NOT worthy of the PRECIOUS GIFT!"

"Yes, I AM." answered the raven wonder with a smirk. "I just can't take the your deafness and your smell... your stench."

"STENCH?" asked the sannin with wide eyes. But beneath his confused pale face, _"noooooooo!"_

"Yeah, you snake." replied Sasuke with a scoff. "Your stench smells like... death ITSELF."

"YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR MIND!" snapped Orochimaru in his loud, scratchy voice. "I CANNOT SMELL like DEATH for I am IMMORTAL!"

"Oh right," he said. "Well, the MORE you smell like death... in the INSIDE, I mean."

"ENOUGH! You have pissed me TOO much," cried the sannin angrily. "You're NOT getting gifts. You're not going to get ANYTHING anymore..." he declared with a grin and muttered an evil "_hehehe..." _

"Fine. I'll seek power somewhere else," answered the raven wonder as he jumped to the nearest tree branch. "You're going to regret this because you _need_ me, Orochimaru." he told him. "I _know _that." and he went on his way.

The man watched him disappear right before his very eyes. _"Now what?" _he asked himself, scratching his head. Then it struck him. "NO!"he screamed."He cannot leave me for HE is the reason of my existence!" he exclaimed. "For without him, my role is..." he thought. "...NOTHING!" And so, Orochimaru followed his boy toy in the thick of the forest, with the use of his brisk feet while his inept arms dangled on his sides.

* * *

_**12:30 nn. **_

"Damn. Now what is taking them EXTREMELY long?" uttered Kabuto as he stared out in their secret lair. "It is past lunch time... they SHOULD be home."

* * *

_**12:31 nn. **_

"Stupid game," mumbled Sasuke as he bounced along the tree branches. "No, STUPID Orochimaru." he corrected himself. _"Now what am I gonna do?" _He shook his head and sighed. He shouldn't had left the man. He shouldn't had insulted him so much. Maybe it's HIM who's going to regret this. If only he can turn back time... he sniggered. _"That's never gonna happen," _he told himself. "_It's not like the guy's gonna say 'Sasuke, WAIT!' "_

"Sasuke-kun! WAIT!"

The young Uchiha halted in his tracks. "Woah," He turned around. _"Orochimaru."_

"Forgive me, Sasuke-kun. It was MY mistake," he apologized to him. "Come, let us go home." he said as nodded at him, since he can't extend a hand because they're both numb. Unfortunately.

Sasuke stared at him, long and hard. "So you think I am worthy of the gift?" he asked smugly, cross-chested.

The snake-summoner nodded. "Yes, yes, my precious student," he stated. "You are FAR more than WORTHY of my gift."

"Hn, fair enough." the raven wonder muttered as he went to the sannin's place. "One thing though..." he said slowly.

"What?" asked Orochimaru anxiously as they both faced each other. "What is it...?"

Sasuke flashed him an unusual smirk. "Let's leap home and do it the _ninja _way."


	4. Kabuto's Revenge

**"A DAY AT THE SNAKE'S"**

**Written by: **riyuna16

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto, though I dreamt I did.

**Summary: **See how Sasuke endures his first day in Orochimaru's secret lair. We just know how this guy left a cursed seal after delightfully sinking his fangs into Sasuke's neck so perhaps they're going to do _more_ than training... (NOT an OroSasu fic)

**A/N: **Wow, that was so much work. Before anything else, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to a certain **Nexhaa16 **who made this fanfic worth reading. YAY! Anyhow, would you guys believe me if I say that I finished this chap during our exams and ended up sleeping at 2:30 am? Yeah, I just felt plain crappy at that time and had to work myself. Anyway, please read, people, and review. -God, I'm sleepy...- Here you go... chapter four. Enjoy... :D!

**"A Day at the Snake's"**

Written by: riyuna16

**Chapter Four: Kabuto's Revenge  
**

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_**1:00 pm.**_

The blistering sun was already high in the sky when the two ninjas reached their destination---Orochimaru's Lair. In the entrance stood a familiar figure wearing a sleek forehead protector and eyeglasses. His arms were crossed in front of his chest as he tapped his right foot impatiently.

The sannin and his student stared at him from afar. As they came up to him, the two felt the ominous atmosphere caused by the medic-nin, Yakushi Kabuto.

"It's past lunchtime, Master Orochimaru," muttered Kabuto in a ticked-off voice. "I've been waiting for almost _three _freaking hoursThe food in the kitchen have been doing the same. Where were you and the container and _what _have you two been---"

"I'm starved," retorted Sasuke sulky as he glared at Kabuto in the corner of his eye. How dare he call him a _container_! What is he---just a piece of PLASTIC! "Where is the dining room? Kitchen?"

But the inquisitive medic-nin did not pay attention to the young Uchiha. "MASTER Orochimaru, as I was saying, what have you two been---"

"First, you turn left. Then go straight ahead. Then right and there you will see an old threshold," said the sannin, facing the Sharingan-inheritor. The man didn't even notice Kabuto speaking earlier. "To open it, you must choose between the two stones: the ancient pumice or the enchanted talisman. Select the stupid talisman of course, and the resplendent door will unlock upon your feat," explained Orochimaru as he smiled conceitedly at the Uchiha. "Now go ahead, my boy, and unbolt the doors to the beautiful kitchen where you will be waiting for me."

With an insolent smile, Sasuke buried his hands into his pockets and strolled to the hideaway. Kabuto gazed at him distantly as he sauntered off into the lair, disappearing into the darkness. He turned to the man beside him and crossed his arms, cocking an eyebrow at his master's sudden comportment.

"You are changing," mumbled Kabuto shadily, looking straight at the man's coal black eyes. "In case you haven't noticed, _I _have noticed that you are

showing favoritism," professed the young shinobi with a huff. "And that is not a good sign, master."

"How come you care so much, Kabuto?" asked Orochimaru peevishly as _he _crossed his arms above his chest. "Instead of inviting him to lunch, you criticize one of the legendary sannins. You should have known that he is rather _hungry _and _uninterested _to talk to you at this moment. Is that _how _you spend your time, Kabuto-kun---dealing with foolish things?" queried Orochimaru at one fell swoop, leaving the medic-nin speechless. "Why don't we just proceed to the kitchen and let me be with my precious student?" said sannin as he ended their conversation and treaded along the paved path to his lair. Kabuto fell silent.

_"You'll see, Sasuke..." _thought the young traitor ominously as he adjusted his eyeglasses with his forefinger. The man out of his sight. _"You may be Orochimaru's "precious student", but you are just his pet! You are just meant to be played with, Sasuke and know that you will not, and never be, useful to him." _and the thought envisioned the Uchiha. Grinning. Grinning vainly.

_"Take that smug little grin off your face 'cause I'll be taking them myself, you arrogant kid!" _With that, Kabuto strolled off to their dark asylum, formulating a plan in mind.

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_**1:30 pm. **_

_"Well this sucks," _said the young Uchiha internally as he sat in the dining table, waiting for Orochimaru and his myopic servant to arrive. In front of him lay a luscious frosted cake, a roasted chicken and a delectable, sweet apple pie. He stared at them. He felt his mouth water, craving for the delightful food he feasted his eyes on. He stared at each one again. They didn't look poisoned or infected by some toxic substance or anything. They looked as if they were bought in stores. In fact, they looked rather _appealing _in his eyes, as if enticing him to take a bite and experience the scrumptious sensation of...

"Dammit, that's _not_ right," muttered Sasuke as he looked away. _That _was what the food were entirely wanting him to think! To think that they were _not _poisoned or infected by some toxic substance or anything. To think that they were bought in stores and that they were _appealing! _But the Sharingan-heir evaded their palatability as he stood to his feet and wandered around the shabby kitchen.

"That farsighted freak can never create such food with this kind of place," muttered the chidori-user as he gazed at the dirty dishes in the sink. "And look at this! Insects in the cabinet? Is he saving cockroaches for dinner?" he said incredulously, slamming the cabinet shut in disgust. "To think that I almost fell for all that crap," he murmured as he shook his head, denoting the luscious food on the dining table which made his mouth water. "Hn, but still I didn't eat them..." declared the young Uchiha as he smirked in conceit.

Suddenly, the deafening sound of friction of large boulders and stones invaded the silence of the kitchen. It was apparently an omen of someone's arrival.

"Sasuke-kun, are you here?" said a faint voice from the opened threshold.

"What took you and your waitron so long?" asked the young Uchiha annoyingly as he turned around to face the speaker. "Had a little chit-chat?"

"No, my boy. Kabuto and I had an argument," answered Orochimaru miserably as he took a seat on the dining table. "But it was settled... good for you."

"What do you mean 'good for you'?" asked the young shinobi perplexedly, raising a brow at him. "What were you two talking about me?"

Orochimaru's eyes widened to some extent. "Don't you worry, Sasuke-kun. You are worthy," said the sannin steadily, thinking that _it _was the answer the young Uchiha was waiting for. Then he gestured his hand... er, head... to him to the table. "Come. Let's eat."

"I think your servant is treacherous," uttered Sasuke as he narrowed his jet black eyes and scoffed. "Where did he get all these food? He couldn't possibly had made them _here,_" he uttered, glancing at the dirty dishes and not to mention, the kitchen cabinets.

"Nonsense, Sasuke-kun. Kabuto is trustworthy," replied the sannin assuredly. "Oh look! This beautiful cake is melting. We must lick it at once!"

"Lick it yourself," muttered Sasuke with revulsion as he stuck his nose in the air. "I'm not going to eat any of those."

Orochimaru was about to lick the cake himself when he stopped. "Do you think I am going to believe that?" the man asked as he sat upright. "Four LONGhours have passed since you ate breakfast, my dear boy. I _know _you are hungry." he declared perceptively.

"Four hours? Hn, that's lame." said the unconvinced Uchiha arrogantly. "That's just four hours. That's nothing compared to _six _hours of not eating nor drinking, which I did in my last mission in Earth Country," he declared with an insolent smile. _"You won't even last a day without eating, will you, oh legendary one?" _the Sharingan-heir thought smugly.

"Six hours, hm?" said the sannin as he raised his forefinger to his chin. "We'll see." said the man, hungrily devouring _all _three meals in a blink of an eye. Sasuke's jaw almost dropped. "Mmm... tastes like apples," said Orochimaru merrily as he wiped his mouth with a tissue.

Sasuke furiously looked away. He should have licked the apple pie.

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_**2:10 pm.**_

Kabuto didn't enter the kitchen. He stayed in the lair's laboratory where he kept some important files which were of no sense when described here. He dashed from one filing cabinet to another, looking for an unnamed folder he called "my evil plans".

"This is hopeless!" the young lad yelled in frustration, dropping to his knees. "I'm not going to find it if I'm always like this..." he uttered, referring to his incompetence in arranging files of his own. The medic-nin had continuously been a good help in the sannin's paperworks, arranging folders and records from A-Z and knew the most important to the least important files. However, when it comes to _his _own paperwork, it would constantly end up as a mess.

"I have to find out whether Uchiha Sasuke _is _deserving of the Dark Gift, or else, all our plans will be ruined!" Kabuto yelled again. "I have to think of some way..." then his eyes glanced at the sole folder on top of his working desk.

Cocking an eyebrow, the medic-nin walked up to the folder and read the title, written in cursive black ink, _"The Buddha and Me"._

After reading several lines, Kabuto broke into a suspicious grin. He'd knew what to do. And there was no need to find the damn file.

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_**2:30 pm.**_

Sasuke lay in the verdant meadows, hands rested behind his head as his raven hair swayed in the cool breeze. He breathed in, smelling the fragrant smell of trees. Then sighed. Even after almost ten years, the young Uchiha could still remember. Memories that could never be erased as long as he walked in the ground and savored the air of the earth. And he remembered. _That time_. The time when he felt he the happiest. The time when he thought as if nothing could possibly go wrong. The time when the Uchiha Clan still existed.

He slowly sat upright. The fine genin never thought he would be treading this kind of path. The path to revenge and destuction. But he knew what he wanted. _They _all knew what he wanted. Take... _squeeze... _the life out of his murderous brother. To make him pay for all his sins. For assassinating his loving mother, Mikoto and his honorable father, Fugaku. For being such a great son, but a lame brother. For being such an excellent example of a jerk.

"You good-for-nothing, full of shit..." muttered the chidori-user vehemently as the thought brought him to the red sharingan eyes of Itachi. "Dry up and DIE!" he screamed as he punched the ground with tremendous strength that his right fist crunched and his fingers went numb under his force. He panted in anger. He could never hide the resentment he would always feel towards his own brother.

But it was of no use. As long as he remained weak, he could never dispatch his S-criminal sibling. And he remembered. That was why he was here. His reason was to acquire the Dark Gift... the _cursed seal_... from the immortal snake man. And now he remembered.

"Do you know why you're here?" asked a distant voice.

"What the heck do you want, Kabuto?" retorted Sasuke annoyingly as a scowl crept to his face.

"Hn, how did you know it was me?" asked the young nin interestedly, adjusting his eyeglasses with his index finger.

"It's just the three of us here, you ass. Now what the hell do you want?" the Sharingan-heir asked again impatiently as he tilted his head to the side to glower at him. He was definitely not in the mood for jokes, pranks or whatever doodahs.

"You know me... always sprouting out of nowhere to ask the most mystifying questions..." answered Kabuto in his I'm-such-a-mysterious-little-piece-of-shit tone.

"Yeah, like I care, freak. Is Orochimaru telling me something?" asked Sasuke, growing _a lot more _impatient this time. He stood to his feet. His face bared red, murderous eyes. "Or are you just bugging me?"

_"Bugging you, huh?" _spoke the medic-nin internally as he smiled a bit. "Well, Master Sasuke, Master Orochimaru asked me to read this to you." said Kabuto calmly, showing the Uchiha a white folder entitled "The Buddha".

Sasuke raised a brow at this. "What's this crap? Is this part of the training?" he asked, snatching the folder from the young traitor's grip. "The _Buddha_..." uttered the chidori-user scornfully as he lifted the front page and turned to the next.

"Sakyamuni: the Buddha. A Nepalese-born Indian philosopher. He renounced his life as a prince. He attained Enlightenment about 528 B.C. and developed and taught the doctrines of Buddhism," read Sasuke in a monotonous tone. "So?" he muttered apathetically.

"Turn to the second page please," came Kabuto's response as he crossed his chest.

"Hmph," retorted the Sharingan-heir tediously but did what the medic-nin told him. He flipped the folder to the second page and read the printings on it.

"Bo tree: sacred tree found in India that belongs to the fig family. Regarded as sacred by Buddhists. The Buddha Sakyamuni is said to have achieved enlightenment while sitting under a bo tree." read the young Uchiha. Unhesitatingly, he turned to the next page but found nothing. He gently closed the folder and raised his fingers to his chin as if thinking deeply. Kabuto stared at him. Then he looked at the medic-nin in conclusion. "I'm going to take up Buddhism?"

Kabuto fell, anime-style.

"Of course not... _master_. You're going to sit under a bo tree," explained the medic-nin with such concern. "Just like Sakyamuni and _Legendary Sannin _Orochimaru."

"OROCHIMARU!" Sasuke almost yelled as his eyed widened in disbelief. "That slug just sat under a tree and became a SANNIN!"

"Why, yes. Believe it or not," answered Kabuto steadily. "That was why he knew his _purpose _in life. He was enlightened under the influence of the sacred bo tree_." _he explained again.

"Bo tree..." repeated the young Uchiha as he pondered on _his _life, thinking if he truly had found the right path to revenge. "Do we have a bo tree around here?"

Right on track, Kabuto nodded merrily at the young shinobi. _"Oh yes, we have a bo tree..." _thought Kabuto impishly as his grin widened more than ever. _"And it's the most SACRED bo tree you'll ever find!"_

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_**2:40 pm.**_

Currently in the dark-room-with-the-melting-candle-and-other-precious-possessions room, Orochimaru fumbled for the telephone numbers. His hands were completely numb and as a result, he had a hard time dialing for the pizza house in Lightning Country. He was trying to sway his arms as much as possible, banging his head and shoulders back and forth like a ghetto rock star.

"Rubbish!" yelled the man, denoting the telephone, as he stopped such inconceivable deed. _"Curse you, Sarutobi and your sealing techniques..." _he thought. The sannin proceeded grumpily to his royal chair situated at the very center of the room. He looked around with his eyes and noticed a ballpoint pen laying on top of his working desk.

He smiled.

"This ought to do it!" cried Orochimaru as he pushed the telephone buttons with the ballpoint pen stuck to his mouth. "99... 5... 22... 11..." the man mumbled, recalling the pizza house's delivery number. "Done!" he exclaimed triumphantly as he spat the pen out of his mouth and collapsed to the ground with a sigh.

_"Just... have to... wait for... the pizza..."_

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_**3:45 pm. **_

"What's in the _bo tree _that enlightened the Buddha?" asked Sasuke curiously, walking steadily with Kabuto who talked him into finding the bo trees in the forests, especially those with the most _special features_.

"Since when did you develop an interest in the Buddha, Sasuke?" retorted the medic-nin knowingly. "You want to know _your _purpose in life?"

This almost caught the young Uchiha by surprise.

"I _know _my purpose in life, Kabuto-san," answered the chidori-user with conceit. "I just want to know if it's right."

"Oh, is that so?" the young shinobi asked again. "And since _when _did you pay respect to me?"

"_What _did you say?" came Sasuke's vindictive tone. He wasn't sure if his ears deceived him.

"You called me Kabuto-san." replied the medic nin, still in his calm voice as always. "You never called me _that _until this moment."

Silence filled the air.

"...So?" muttered the Sharingan-heir as he crossed his arms, uncomfortable of what this keen, clever ninja had been talking about.

"I think it's your way of thanking me." said Kabuto with a smile.

"Hmph," retorted the young Uchiha.

"Don't worry. It's _appreciated." _stated the medic-nin as the two ninjas continued their search for the sacred bo tree.

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_**4:05 pm. **_

"CURSE YOU, PIZZA MAN!"

An hour and a half had passed since Orochimaru's call to the pizza house in Lightning Country and yet, no delivery man had set foot in his lair. It was already getting into his nerves. He had a hard time dialing those numbers with just a pen and he still hadn't received his reward and not to mention, _present, _for dear his Sasuke-kun. This was so unfortunate.

_"Once that delivery man arrives at the entrance, I'm going to grab the pizza and feed him to Manda..." _thought the sannin wickedly as his forehead creased in frustration. All of a sudden, the telephone rang. He cocked an eyebrow at the device.

"No one has called the secret lair for _years_," spoke Orochimaru, pondering who could be on other line. "Bah! Who cares!" he exclaimed and decided to put the ballpoint pen again to his mouth, much to his disappointment. He pressed the _loudspeaker _button on the telephone and spat the pen out again.

"Hello?" his scratchy voice asked the other line. And waited.

He got dead silence.

"HELLO?" Orochimaru asked again. Louder this time.

Still nothing.

"If you are not going to speak, I'm going to summon my snakes and command them to eat you..." spoke the sannin menacingly. "WHO IS THIS?" Then he heard another voice. A female voice. Coming from the telephone.

"We're on? We're on? Okay. We're on! Hello, sir? This is Lightning Country's famous Pizza Palace! The home of the most delicious pizzas for you and your family!" said the high-spirited female voice on the other line. "We want to inform you that you just got yourself the replica of the _sacred bo tree of Enlightened Buddha, Sakyamuni!" _Orochimaru was speechless. "You may get it NOW at the meridian of the Hidden Forest of Shikoku, near the edge of the cliff and in between the two rivers, just like what you told us to!" explained the lady. "Thank you, sir, and _have fun!" _and she hung up. And so did Orochimaru. Slowly.

"What... what was that...?" stuttered the sannin due to what he had just heard. He managed to put the saliva-dripping ballpoint pen back to his ghastly mouth and turned off the loudspeaker of the telephone. "What bo tree? What Hidden Forest of Shikoku?" asked the man to no one in particular, just plain confused. "And who the heck is SAKYAMUNI!"

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_**Somewhere...**_

Holding out her papers, the high-spirited employee of Pizza Palace was asking everyone, "Who the HELL is this SAKYAMUNI!"


End file.
